Commit to Values, Assess Risk, Deliver Mission
TicTacToe with Hearts Winning, Photo by form PxHere.
It’s a scary world right now for nonprofit organizations. New policies that impact mission and lives are rapidly coming out in a seemingly endless stream. These policies are often poorly defined. Some carry threats of punitive action. Some are being challenged in court. Some are being pulled back – maybe. The news changes from hour to hour.
Facing uncertainty, nonprofit organizations should recommit to their values and mission AND do so in a way that assesses their risk. It is neither the time for impulsive reactions nor long, drawn-out planning, but for strategic assessments and conversations to set next steps. These assessments, conversations, and next steps are likely to be iterated over the next few years.
Here are some conversations that will be helpful to have with both the staff and board.
The first grounding question should always focus on purpose -- the change the organizations wants to make (vision), what the organizations does to make the change (mission), and how the organizations acts and makes decisions in the work (values). Concentrate on the guiding intentions, not the wording.
Do these still hold true right now?
Has the need changed at all?
Do our motivations for doing the work change?
The second set of questions focuses on risk. The obvious risks are on everyone’s mind but think about these questions a little further out. In this round of questions, don’t try to mitigate the risk, just identify it.
On mission
Is the whole organization or are specific programs at risk of being targeted? (DEI, immigrant, LGBTQ are the obvious areas, but others may also be impacted if a program serves only a specific audience)
Are any of partners that the organizations relies on at the same risk to their mission?
Are all or only some of the organization’s programs impacted by mission risk?
On funding
Even if the organization doesn’t receive Federal funding, do any of the State or local funding streams rely on Federal funding in the background?
Are any of the partners that the organization relies on impacted by Federal funding cuts?
Are all or only some of the organization’s programs impacted by funding cuts?
How robust are the organization’s reserve levels?
If the entire funding pool shrinks overtime, can the organization expect any changes in donor base?
Has the organizations been in contact with their funders to help anticipate how the funders will handle new challenges?
What is the organization’s plan for donor stewardship?
Third, bring the results of these two sets of conversations together. This is where you consider how to address that risk and what you must continue, stop, or start doing to keep mission and value integrity.
Here are some thoughts
Keep to the principle of the mission but consider opening it up to a broader audience. If you have a program to provide microloans to women of color, the risk is the limit on gender and race. Can you open the same program to all, and maintain program staff, locations, and marketing material that continue to appeal to women of color? Yes, you may serve others but consider if keeping the program intact is worth that compromise. (And you may decide that it’s not!)
Are there ways you can collaborate with other organizations? This may be in reducing expenses by sharing space or services. It could be by opening your microloan program to another organization’s clients. Does considering the organization’s walls more fluidly help to maintain your mission? (And you may decide that it doesn’t!)
Are there ways to support partners whose mission is directly at risk, for example those supporting racial equity, LGBTQ people, and immigrants? Can your programs support their clients? (And this may not apply to your work.)
Are you actively doing what you need to keep your donors close? Stewardship and ongoing communication are easy places to fall behind. Now is not that time. This is ideal work that the board can help with! Don’t start by asking for more money. Hold your donors close by communicating the outcome of your commitment and risk assessment so that they know that you value them and are protecting their investment in your mission. (And this one, you can’t decide not to do.)
What we don’t want to do in this time is to think that we won’t be affected or react without being thoughtful. If you expect that these conversations will be a challenge, we would love to help facilitate and bring the hard questions to the table.
Here are a couple of additional resources that might be helpful in framing your conversation.
Nonprofit Financial Commons offers 12 Urgent Financial Steps for Nonprofits: A 2025 Checklist
Nonprofit Risk Management Center offers How to Simplify and Streamline During a Crisis
Nonprofit Megaphone offers A Simple Guide to Serl-Care for Nonprofit Workers
Small Shop Strategies offers Rules of Crisis Communication for Nonprofits
Building and being in community for common good will help us all move forward together. Call us. Let’s check in. And if you don’t call us, expect us to reach out to you.